


Seven Wonders

by bbygirldahyun



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Coven AU, F/F, Witches, supreme!irene
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26836651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbygirldahyun/pseuds/bbygirldahyun
Summary: A coven once on the verge of extinction has now blossomed into a thriving, full group of witches cultivating their powers side by side. But with more witches in the bloodline, the more witches there are to contend with the looming prospect of rising to the position of the next Supreme. Current Supreme Irene must work to find her successor, but at what cost?
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, I'll add more ships as they pop up
Comments: 11
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> hello everyone! i'm super excited to finally share this with you, it's been in the works for awhile so i'm anxious to see how you guys like it.
> 
> i know this is a little shorter and written a bit differently than i normally do things, but i wanted to just lay the groundwork for a lot of storylines here.
> 
> please tell me your thoughts when you finish!

Fog hides what is up the path Mina walks, arms wrapped around herself as she takes careful steps along the winding, clearly man made stone pathway. She shivers in the air of the forest, tall trees looming all around her, giving her walk an eerie sort of quality. She’s beginning to wonder if the directions in her letter were faulty, or if this is a trick somehow, allowing herself to be led into the depths of the forest, surrounded in fog, nobody with her, nobody waiting for her. But this her only hope, after having been kicked out by her family for her...whatever is going on with her. So even if there’s a possibility of this being a mistake, she has to give it a shot. 

Eventually, she can make out the hazy shape of a large mansion looking building, sighing in relief somewhat at the fact this is the building in the pictures attached to her letter. She reaches into her coat pocket, the paper of the letter under her fingertips, halting her trek to pull it out and read it one last time before allowing her life to be changed right before her very eyes. 

Miss Mina Myoui, 

I am so pleased you reached out to us, we are always thrilled to welcome home members of our Coven. What you describe sounds like quite a rare gift to me, something few witches in our history have possessed, and it is of the utmost importance we learn to harness and control this ability for your own safety and peace of mind. 

Please, join us at your leisure. We would love to train you and help you foster your abilities, as well as welcome you to our family. Attached are credits for a plane ticket, the address of our Academy, and a picture - it is quite easy to get lost wandering in the forest. 

Regards,   
Irene Bae

Mina sighs, the words burned into her memory, having read the letter so many times she could just about recite it verbatim. She keeps fixating on what Irene said about learning to control her powers for her own safety, swallowing hard as she remembers the final straw for her family; she’d had such a vivid image in her mind, a car crash on a highway north of them, coming out of it with blood curdling screams that woke her whole family, sending them into a panic, almost about to call an ambulance because Mina would not stop shrieking like she was about to die. By the time she calmed down enough to explain, they brushed it off as a nightmare or even a night terror, something easy to stomach like that, and they moved on. That is, until the next night at dinner when they saw reports of a huge car crash on the exact highway Mina had named, her details perfect even down to the make and model of each car involved. 

They’d been petrified of her, this not being the first instance of something like this occurring but certainly the first time she had predicted something so deadly. Her family was damn near convinced she had sold her soul to the Devil or something, telling her they couldn’t be living under the same roof as someone practicing ‘Satan worship’. They gave her a week to figure things out, and that’s how Mina stumbled upon the Academy, a school for young girls of exceptional powers as she read on their website. She had emailed the headmistress, and received this letter in return.

Now, she’s staring the Academy in the face, not knowing what the future holds for her. But anything is better than where she was, confused and scared of herself, scared to even shut her eyes because everytime she does it seems she gets one of those weird visions again. So she takes a steeling breath, tucking the letter back in her pocket, readjusting her backpack on her shoulders, heading up the last stretch of the stone walkway to the old fashioned looking wooden door of the Academy. She raps her knuckles three times, hair falling in her face as she steps back and angles her head to the ground, anxiety making her heart pound in her chest. 

“Hello,” A warm voice greets Mina’s ears, her eyes shooting up to find a round, friendly face looking at her. “You must be Mina?” 

“Yes,” She says in a trembling voice. “Is this the Academy for...for girls with…” 

“Exceptional powers, yes,” The woman smiles, reaching to wave her inside, locking the door securely behind her. Mina’s eyes roam around the foyer of the building, a high ceiling with a skylight, polished floors, candle sticks in little nooks in the walls, the Academy crest painted on the largest wall. “Follow me,” Mina hears, nervously trailing after the woman down a hall to another, smaller wooden door, the woman knocking twice before pushing it open. 

Inside sits a large desk, a petite but almost imposing looking woman behind it, a pen perched between her nimble fingers, writing something that looks important given how much attention she’s giving it. Mina swallows hard, more nervous than ever before. 

“Irene, our newest recruit is here,” The woman escorting Mina says softly, perking Irene’s attention. 

A genial smile spreads on her red lips, waving Mina further into the office. “Thank you, Seulgi,” She shoots a fond look to the woman, giving her her cue to leave. “Sit, Mina.” With a flick of Irene’s wrist, a chair moves from by the fireplace to in front of her desk. 

“Thank you for having me, Miss Bae,” Mina whispers, seating herself as politely as possible. 

“We are lucky to have you with us,” Irene says, fixing her full attention on Mina. “You have a very rare gift, Mina. I have never met anyone else who possesses what you have.” 

“Good,” Mina laughs nervously. “It’s not fun.” 

“I’m sure it isn’t,” Irene sighs. “You told me you predicted a car crash before it happened?” Mina nods solemnly, wringing her hands in her lap. “I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to grapple with that responsibility at such a young age.” 

“I don’t want this responsibility,” Mina confesses softly. “I just want to be normal.” 

“Unfortunately, you can’t opt out of being a witch,” Irene says as gently as possible. “But you can learn how to control your powers. You can become very powerful, if you train very hard. You could even replace me one day.” 

“Replace you?” Mina asks softly, confused. 

“Every generation of witches has an emerging witch, one who embodies all essences of power, who possesses damn near every gift,” Irene explains with a small smile on her lips. “My time as Supreme of the Coven is now, but eventually a witch of your generation will replace me, so I can retire in some sense of the word. That could very well be you, we just don’t know yet.” 

“Wow,” Mina whispers under her breath, taking that all in. 

“But for now, let’s get you settled in with your roommate,” Irene stands then, leading the way out of her office with Mina hurry to catch up with her, taking her up a winding staircase to the third floor, down the left hand corridor to a glossy white door, the Supreme knocking gently first. 

“Come in!” A soft voice chirps, Irene pushing the door open, Mina tentatively stepping after her, feeling shaky as her eyes fall on a very pretty, tall girl sitting on the edge of one of the beds. The girl’s side of the room looks very lived in, posters on the walls and bed covers rustled. The side of the room that Mina assumes belongs to her looks entirely pristine and untouched. 

“Mina, this is your roommate here, Tzuyu,” Irene introduces them. “Tzuyu specializes in divination, so I think you two will get on well.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tzuyu smiles softly, eyes crinkling at the corner. “You’ll like it here, I’m sure. Everyone is super nice.” 

Mina smiles, then, feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this newness in just under half an hour, but excited for the possibilities too. 

~

“Just try again, Jeong.” 

Jeongyeon sighs heavily, seeing the exasperated look on her best friend’s face. They’re sitting in the small library of the Academy, fire burning bright in the fireplace, book open between them. They’ve been trying for weeks to get Jeongyeon’s powers developing more, but it just isn’t working no matter what they try, though that doesn’t stop Nayeon from trying. 

“Nay, I think we should just give up,” Jeongyeon says plainly. “We can’t blame this on being a later bloomer anymore, I’m barely developing anything.” 

“You have to try,” Nayeon insists, reaching for Jeongyeon’s hand and squeezing. “You have powerful parents, a long line of witches in your ancestry, there is no reason you should be struggling with this.” 

“Yeah, that’s making me feel so much better,” Jeongyeon mutters. 

She knows she’s a let down to her family. Her mother was a strong witch, her older sister just as strong if not more so, barely missing out on being Supreme by an inch. But Jeongyeon, she’s always been different. Whereas most witches start showing powers young, she didn’t develop her first inkling of anything until she was sixteen. Everything she’s managed to do has been by accident, she can’t repeat it when she tries. And Nayeon, well she’s always been a model student. Jeongyeon has gotten used to living in her shadow, and really she doesn’t mind, because Nayeon loves her so damn much. 

“Just move the candlestick,” Nayeon says firmly, hope glittering in her eyes. 

Jeongyeon reaches and physically picks the thing up, earning her a playful glare and an elbow to the side. “What? I did what you said!” 

“You’re painful,” Nayeon teases, Jeongyeon rolling her eyes. “Just try, okay? No pressure. It's just us, Jeong.”

Jeongyeon lets out a low breath, eyes falling on the candlestick. Why can’t she do this? She’s seen Nayeon do it a hundred times. She’s seen Nayeon do everything, and Jeongyeon can only imagine it’ll be Nayeon who becomes their next Supreme, how could it be anyone else? There are other girls considered, but to Jeongyeon it couldn’t be anyone but her best friend. She’s so powerful, always has been, and she wears it so confidently, but she doesn’t brag. She’s just perfect, Jeongyeon has never met anyone as perfect as Nayeon before. 

“Oh my god Jeong you’re doing it!” Nayeon exclaims suddenly, pulling Jeongyeon from her reverie, barely catching a glimpse of the candlestick floating in the air before it clatters back onto the table. “What was different this time?” 

Jeongyeon swallows thickly, not wanting to admit she was thinking about Nayeon. It would just be weird, and besides that probably had nothing to do with it anyways. “I don’t know, my mind kind of just...went blank.” The lie feels sour on her tongue, but she swallows back the bitter taste. 

“You worry too much, that’s it,” Nayeon concludes. “You have to stop getting in your own way.” 

Jeongyeon wishes it was that easy.

~

Everyone else is in class, and Chaeyoung knows she should be too, but she can’t resist using this time when the Academy is so silent and tranquil to wreak some havoc. Her favorite person to mess with is Dahyun; she’s so skittish, and it makes every time Chaeyoung sneaks up on her and plays a trick on her somehow even funnier because she never seems to see it coming. It’s all in good fun, which Chaeyoung tries to explain to Irene everytime she gets hauled into her office for another talking to about her less than stellar behavior. 

“You have so much potential, Chaeyoung. Perhaps you should focus on your studies instead of disrupting every other witch in the Coven,” Irene tells her, and Chaeyoung will always huff, rolling her eyes. She knows she isn’t going to be Supreme, so who cares if she has some fun in between learning new spells or the history of witchcraft. 

Now, she’s in the parlor room, sitting on one of the leather seats trying to decide what she wants to do to get under Dahyun’s skin today. Her eyes roam the room as she muses silently, studying the portraits of all of the Supremes. Many she doesn’t recognize, though she probably should, but she instantly identifies Irene’s portrait. She looks just as beautiful in the painting as she does in real life, her face plain, almost cold looking, draped in black velvet and a plum color on her lips. She’s the picture of what a witch would look like, Chaeyoung has always thought. 

It does make her wonder who one day will have their portrait beside Irene - she’s self assured enough to know it probably won’t be her, and she’s honestly perfectly fine with that, knowing that responsibility should not go on her shoulders. Everyone assumes it will be Yeri, Irene’s younger sister, given she comes from such a powerful bloodline and she shows such promise with nearly every ability. Nayeon is another one Chaeyoung has heard whisperings of being a contender, and that doesn't surprise Chaeyoung either; Nayeon’s mother was on the council, her family well known for being powerful as well. 

Amidst all her mulling over the thoughts of a new Supreme, Chaeyoung has an epiphany about what kind of trick she wants to pull today. The one power she’s always had down pat is transmutation, which she knows because her parents have told her far too many stories about how hard she was to keep track of as a child once she developed that power, disappearing and reappearing around the house at will, getting herself into far too much trouble. 

She knows by this time of day Dahyun is usually in the greenhouse, assisting Wendy with things as a sort of independent study situation. Chaeyoung knows a lot about Dahyun despite them not really being friends, considering they’re roommates and Dahyun is far too polite, entertaining all of Chaeyoung’s questions no matter how sincere or not so sincere they may be. So, Chaeyoung chuckles to her as she rises, rubbing her hands together as she lets her eyes fall closed, focusing on envisioning the greenhouse, allowing her body to slip and vanish from the parlor room, reappearing in seconds in the greenhouse, calling a loud, “Boo!” 

“Jesus Christ!” A yelp that sounds horribly not like Dahyun makes Chaeyoung cringe, peeking her eyes open to see Wendy giving her an annoyed look. “What is wrong with you?” 

“That wasn’t for you, Miss Wendy,” Chaeyoung tries to explain hurriedly, desperate to avoid going to Irene’s office for a talking to again. “I was trying to...surprise Dahyun.”

Wendy sighs heavily, shaking her head. At the sound of her name, Dahyun comes around a corner, obviously having been in the outside part of the greenhouse given the basket of various plants she has tucked under her arm. “What’s a surprise for me?” She asks, confused as she sees the annoyance on Wendy’s face and the sheepish grin on Chaeyoung’s. 

“Chaeyoung decided to transmutate in here without warning, I’m assuming to scare you, but she ended up about giving me a heart attack,” Wendy explains in an almost bemused tone. 

“I’m sorry, Miss Wendy, really,” Chaeyoung goes on. 

“Dahyun, you finish up the potion,” Wendy instructs softly, placing a hand on Dahyun’s shoulder to give it a friendly squeeze. “Chaeyoung, come with me.” 

“God no please, I don’t wanna be in trouble again,” Chaeyoung groans, begrudgingly following Wendy out of the greenhouse and down the hall towards Irene’s office. “Miss Wendy please!” 

“You know for all the trouble you cause you don’t like getting recognition for it,” Wendy teases, pushing the door to Irene’s office open and waving Chaeyoung inside, the younger witch sighing deeply. 

“Ah Chaeyoung,” Irene says, not even having to ask. “Again?” 

“It’s not that big of a deal this time,” Chaeyoung replies instantly. “I didn’t even break anything.” 

“Well what did you do?” Irene asks, bemused as Chaeyoung seats herself across from Irene’s desk. 

“I transmutated into the greenhouse to surprise Dahyun but ended up scaring Miss Wendy,” Chaeyoung sighs, head hanging, only looking back up when she hears a low chuckle coming from Irene. “What?” 

“Chaeyoung, I just don’t quite know what to do with you,” Irene finally says. “I know you aren’t trying to harm anyone, or really do anything bad, but you can’t keep skipping your classes for this nonsense.” Chaeyoung quiets, really listening this time. “I know you’re supposed to be in your history of potions course right now, but I bet you didn’t even show up, hm?” Chaeyoung shakes her head slowly. “So, what I think we need to do is find a way to motivate you.” 

“Motivate me?” Chaeyoung asks in a weak voice, not sure what that could mean. 

“Since clearly lectures are not your favorite type of learning, for your potions learning you’ll be doing something more hands-on,” Irene explains. “And since it seems you enjoy Dahyun’s company, I’m going to suggest you spend your time joining her for her independent study with Wendy in the greenhouse.”

Chaeyoung takes that in, thinking about having to spend everyday with Wendy and Dahyun working in the greenhouse. As much as she wants to roll her eyes at first, she thinks for a second, seeing the sincerity in Irene’s face at this offer, and she rethinks. “Thank you, Miss Irene. I’ll try my best.” 

“I know you will,” Irene smiles, making Chaeyoung smile a bit too. 

~

Yeri tries to listen to the chatter around her, but her mind keeps drifting. Her friends are all catching up on the newest gossip of the coven, whispers of a new arrival, wondering what that means for when the Seven Wonders test will be scheduled. Yeri knows she should care, but she doesn’t. This has consumed her entire life, Coven details and witchcraft and watching her sister rise to power when she was only seventeen, Yeri herself only nine. She used to think her sister was the coolest person in the entire world, and in some ways she does still think that. Irene is more than just a sister to her - she’s Yeri’s sister, mentor, mom, and friend all wrapped in one. 

It’s only natural people assume Yeri will follow in Irene’s footsteps, and sometimes Yeri worries she actually will become the next Supreme, the sickly feeling of the mere thought settling like a knot in her stomach. She sees the stress it brings her sister, how much work it is to run a Coven, to run this school, to hold that much power and to protect everyone at all times. It hardly leaves Irene time for her own life, to enjoy herself at all. For as long as Yeri has known her sister it’s seemed she’s known Seulgi too, and it breaks her heart to see Irene have to continue putting off being with Seulgi the way she really wants to, to have to put off any thought of marriage or children or a real life together. 

“Yeri do you know anything about the new girl?” Joy’s voice breaks Yeri’s reverie, making her turn away from the window she’d been staring out of to her friends around her. 

“New girl?” Yeri asks, trying to act like she knows what the conversation is about. 

“Yeah, the new girl Miss Irene talked about came today,” Joy explains patiently, an almost sad look on her face as she studies Yeri. She knows Yeri’s mind has been stuck on other things lately, and she feels awful seeing her friend worrying so deeply so often. It’s just not in Yeri’s nature, so she knows it’s serious.

“I’m pretty sure she moved in Tzuyu’s room,” Jihyo adds softly, drawing Yeri’s attention across the table to where Jihyo, Sana, and Momo are sitting all in a row. 

“She did, that’s why I got moved into your guys’ room,” Sana says with a laugh. “Miss Irene never should’ve let the three of us share a room.” 

“Yeah that’s dangerous,” Yeri jokes. “But why move you? Why not just put the new girl with Momo and Jihyo?” 

“I think she wanted the new girl with Tzuyu because she’s so timid and quiet,” Momo answers softly, glancing around to make sure nobody is listening. “I heard the new girl is weird.” 

“Weird how?” Joy asks instantly, always one for gossip. 

Yeri bites back what she’s thinking; Irene had told her a little about the new girl, how urgent her situation was and how her powers could really hurt her if she doesn’t get it under control soon. But she doesn’t want to air the new girl’s dirty laundry like that, especially when Irene made her swear not to tell. Yeri would never betray her sister’s trust like that. 

“She hasn’t been in classes at all today, she and Miss Seulgi have been holed up in one of the unused rooms doing something,” Jihyo murmurs. “I think Miss Irene has been sneaking in there when she gets a chance.” 

“Well we’ll get to meet her at dinner,” Yeri reminds them quietly. “I’m sure she’s nice, probably just overwhelmed. This would be a lot to take in if you didn’t grow up with it being normal.” 

“It is, I can say from experience,” Joy chimes in, Yeri glancing at her with a grateful smile. 

Joy was the first recruit Irene ever found, only a year after becoming Supreme. Joy had been a petrified thirteen year old, facing suspension from her middle school for setting something on fire. She had promised she didn’t know how she did it, and they couldn’t find any proof of how she did it; no matches or lighters to be found in the investigation. Irene read about it in the paper and just knew Joy must belong with the Coven, and lo and behold she was right. Joy passed the pyrokinetics test with flying colors, and she was given a spot at the Academy easily. Since that day, Joy and Yeri had sort of been inseparable, and Irene was happy to see her little sister making a friend, finally having another kid near her age around. 

“Yeri, I know you hate this question, but who do you really think is going to be the next Supreme?” Momo asks suddenly, and Yeri just sighs deeply. Everyone seems to think she has an answer to this, but she doesn’t. Irene doesn’t even know, how is Yeri supposed to? 

“It doesn’t matter, not yet. It’s still my sister, and we should respect her as Supreme until she decides it’s time for her to step down,” Yeri says in a firm tone, and Momo honestly looks a little taken aback, worried she upset Yeri somehow. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Sana finally fills the silence. “It’s just hard not knowing, you get what I mean?” 

Yeri can only nod, knowing far too well exactly what Sana means. 

~

Irene jumps a little, feeling warm hands coming to rest on her shoulders, relaxing when she smells Seulgi’s familiar perfume, leaning back against the younger woman. “Hi baby,” She whispers, smiling as the hands start to gently massage her shoulders. 

“Hi,” She can hear the grin in Seulgi’s voice as she talks. “I can tell you’re stressed.” 

“How could you tell?” Irene asks with a laugh, eyes falling closed in relaxation. They’re supposed to be getting ready for dinner downstairs with all of the girls, Irene still in her robe from her quick shower, but she can’t deny enjoying this however fleeting moment of solitude and peacefulness with Seulgi. 

“You always get stressed when new girls show up,” Seulgi explains softly. “And Chaeyoung stresses you out constantly, and you’re worried about Yeri.” 

“Have you suddenly developed clairvoyance?” Irene jokes, turning around to look at her girlfriend. 

“No, I just know you,” Seulgi sighs, leaning and pressing a kiss to Irene’s forehead. “This is all really hard on you, honey. I hate seeing you so miserable.”

“It’ll blow over,” Irene murmurs, seeing the worry lacing Seulgi’s face and feeling guilty. She hates when anyone worries about her. “I’ll be okay.” 

“I want you to be more than okay, I want you to enjoy your life,” Seulgi argues softly. “You’ve been taking care of the Coven for almost thirteen years, and you’ve really done more than any other Supreme, but you should get to have your life be your own too. You don’t owe your entire life to the Coven.” 

“But I do,” Irene whispers sadly. “I’m the Supreme, my life belongs to the Coven. I know that sounds horrible, but that’s how it is.” 

“Irene,” Seulgi takes both of her hands suddenly, and Irene knows the woman must be serious. “I love you, and your dedication to the Coven is so admirable. But I want a life with you. I want to marry you and settle down somewhere and have kids. You won’t do that while you’re Supreme, so when can we do that?” 

Irene feels tears pricking in her eyes, hurriedly blinking repeatedly to stave them off, hating to cry, hating to make Seulgi feel even more worried. “I want all of that too, Seul, I just…” Irene swallows thickly, lump in her throat. “What if it’s Yerim?” 

She doesn’t have to explain what she means, Seulgi knows. She’s always known that’s Irene’s worst fear, that her sister will follow in her footsteps and live the same life of obligation and responsibility Irene has had to. 

“There are a lot of witches who have promise, not just Yerim,” Seulgi reassures her softly. “And even if it is, she is strong, she would do well. We won’t know until we get there, so don’t spend today borrowing tomorrow’s worries.” Irene sighs, nodding slightly, allowing Seulgi to pull her to her feet and over to the closet to find something presentable to wear for dinner. “Who do you predict it will be?” Seulgi asks suddenly. 

“I truly worry more it will be Mina rather than Yerim now,” Irene says solemnly, plucking a black dress off a hanger. “She is not strong enough to be Supreme, not mentally.” 

“With time, she could be,” Seulgi sighs, sitting on the edge of the bed while Irene dresses. “Working with her today, she is so reserved, but she has so much power. She just doesn’t know how to use it.” 

“That power she has is going to eat her brain,” Irene says in a tight voice. “The only other witch ever documented thoroughly to have that power did not have a wonderful end, to put it nicely. I don’t want to watch the same thing happen to Mina, she’s such a lovely girl with so much promise.” 

“It won’t,” Seulgi sounds so sure, it soothes Irene’s worrying even somewhat. “We’ll train her, she will be able to get a grasp on her power enough to stay sane.” 

“I hope she and Tzuyu get on well,” Irene muses quietly as she smooths the skirt of her dress, going to put perfume on and fix her hair in the mirror. “I think Tzuyu will help her acclimate to living here nicely.” 

“That was a good choice, having them together,” Seulgi agrees, standing to walk over to wait beside Irene. “Tzuyu is such a sweetheart, she’ll take good care of Mina.” 

“Seulgi?” Irene turns suddenly, pulling Seulgi into a tight embrace. “Thank you for everything you do for me.” 

“What’s gotten into you?” Seulgi laughs, hugging Irene back and kissing the side of her head. “You’re never this sappy for no reason.” 

“I just love you,” Irene whispers, eyes looking a bit watery, but Seulgi knows she’d ruin the moment if she pointed it out. “You’re a gem,” Irene tacks on right before pulling Seulgi into a sound kiss, the world seeming to melt. 

Seulgi has always thought that no witchcraft magic could compare to the magic of kissing Irene, and that still holds true even all these years later.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was hoping to have this up on halloween but time got away from me, among other things :( hope it's been worth the wait!! pls tell me your thoughts <3

Where did I put my spellbook - When is my next - Who is going to be the next Su-

Dahyun claps her hands over her ears, wanting to block out the sounds. She has yet to find any real benefits to her clairvoyance; her head is constantly too loud with others thoughts, and she hasn’t been able to tune it out as well as she should be able to. She hates knowing other people’s business this way, always trying her best to ignore what she hears. But the only time she truly can tune everyone out and feel peace in her mind is when she’s working in the greenhouse.

It’s most of why Irene gave her that as a work study sort of situation, seeing how distraught Dahyun was becoming, how she was unable to focus on her classes because of the constant chatter inside her brain. So now she gets to spend most of her days in the tranquility of the greenhouse, only Wendy’s thoughts accompanying her own, and they’re always pleasant; Dahyun honestly wonders if Wendy deliberately tries to make her thoughts positive and peaceful because of Dahyun’s presence. 

But now, she’ll have Chaeyoung’s thoughts to contend with too, not to mention her actual words and stupid michief. Dahyun has heard the inner workings of Chaeyoung’s brain way more than she wants to, it’s what she hears each night trying to fall asleep that keeps her up. Chaeyoung is always worrying about something, though she never shows it on the outside, and Dahyun isn’t going to be the one to ruin her bad girl exterior. She’d rather pretend she can’t hear Chaeyoung at all.

“Got something on your mind?” 

Speak of the Devil, Dahyun opens her eyes to look up at Chaeyoung, seeing the girl leaning against the wall across from her. She tries her best to block out Chaeyoung’s thoughts, only hearing bits and pieces, mostly snippets of how much she’s dreading working in the greenhouse. 

“Everyone else’s thoughts,” Dahyun huffs, standing up and grabbing her collection of books she was meant to be studying from. “Let’s just go.” 

“That must really suck,” Chaeyoung remarks as they’re walking to the greenhouse side by side. thoughts actually reflecting her pity. “Do you ever like knowing everyone’s secrets though?” 

“No, honestly, I hate it,” Dahyun sighs. “Knowing everyone’s business does more harm than good.” 

“Okay but...do you have any good secrets?” Chaeyoung giggles, bumping Dahyun’s arm as they stop right outside the greenhouse for a moment, hearing Wendy’s soft humming already. “Like what does Miss Wendy think about?” 

“Mostly just how her plants are growing,” Dahyun answers honestly. “She has pretty mundane thoughts. I hear yours most.” 

“Oof, I don’t know if I like that,” Chaeyoung jokes. “I can trust you, right?” 

Dahyun smiles almost reluctantly. “Yeah, I guess so. Now come in, let’s not keep her waiting.” 

She tries to ignore the overwhelming thoughts Chaeyoung is having about a growing soft spot for her as they head in the greenhouse together. 

~

“Can you light the candle?” 

Mina looks from the candlestick to Seulgi hesitantly, sighing softly. She still hasn’t been permitted into regular classes yet, studying in a private room with Seulgi as she begins to hone her other powers. They haven’t worked on her already presenting power yet, and Mina is incredibly thankful for that. She hates acknowledging the visions she has, how much they upset her. She’s surprised she hasn’t had one since she arrived, though it seems her roommate was prepped for the possibility because everytime she woke up even slightly in the middle of the night Tzuyu was up too, asking if she was alright. 

“Mina?” Seulgi prompts, drawing her back to the present. 

“Yeah, sorry,” She mumbles sheepishly, focusing intently on the candlestick now, relaxing her shoulders and clenching her fist, willing it to catch flame, beaming when it does moments later. “I did it!” 

“That was impressive,” Seeulgi praises sweetly. “We have girls who have been with us much longer than you who haven’t quite mastered that yet. Good job.” 

Mina feels proud of herself, liking this feeling of actually belonging somewhere, of knowing these powers weren’t a mistake or a curse but an asset, something that makes her special and powerful.   
“Your powers are obviously manifesting very quickly,” Seulgi goes on. “We’ll be integrating you into regular classes soon enough, I just want to make sure we don’t overwhelm you.” 

Mina nods, not sure how she likes being treated like she’s fragile, but she figures she can’t complain much; they’re providing her a home, food, and schooling all for free. She’ll be able to suck it up and let her teachers coddle her a little.

“How do you know when all your powers have manifested?” Mina wonders aloud, and Seulgi seems to truly ponder that question for a moment. 

“Well when the time comes to find the next Supreme, all of you who show potential for many powers will go through the test of the Seven Wonders,” Seulgi explains. “Only the Supreme can pass all seven, but it is imperative we don’t allow anyone who isn’t ready the opportunity to take the trials. While something like a lack of power with pyrokinesis, for example, is harmless, there are other powers that if they are attempted and unachievable, the witch could die trying.” 

Mina feels like all the air has left her lungs hearing that, not sure why they’d administer such a deadly test. “Will I have to do the test?” 

Seulgi tries to give her a reassuring smile. “We’ve barely scratched the surface with your training, so there’s no way to tell now. Don’t let the thought worry you too much.” 

Mina thinks that’s easier said than done. 

~

Yeri can sense Irene’s presence before she announces herself, turning to see her sister lingering in the doorway of the Coven’s library. Yeri has been poring over a history book detailing the Seven Wonders test, trying to soothe the nerves she feels every time she thinks of it by reading up on it. 

“How are you doing, Yerim?” Irene is the only one who calls her that anymore, but it makes Yeri smile, waving the woman over and pulling a seat out for her to sit down in. 

“I’m doing alright,” Yeri sighs, seeing the tiredness in her sister’s face and not wanting to worsen it, never wanting to add more burden to her sister’s shoulders.

“Worrying over the test?” Irene gestures to the book she’s been poring over, Yeri giving her a sheepish smile. 

“A little bit,” She admits softly. “What was it like?” 

“It was anxiety inducing, I won’t lie,” Irene goes on softly. “I was the only one being tested, so everyone was staring at me the whole while. It felt like so much pressure, to not show any weakness, to be the one everyone expected me to be.” 

“And you were,” Yeri finishes for her, making Irene sigh heavily. 

“But it’s okay if you’re not the one, Yerim,” She insists. “You don’t have to burden yourself with that expectation.” 

“Everyone wants me to follow in your footsteps,” Yeri whispers, leaning to rest her head on Irene’s shoulder. “But I don’t know if I can.” 

“Well no matter what you do, you make me proud everyday,” Irene tells her sincerely, smiling as she reaches and takes Yeri’s hand. In some ways she’s more motherly than sisterly to the girl, them both having been away from their parents at such a young age to attend the Academy. 

“What was descensum like?” Yeri whispers, a tone of worry and almost pain in her voice. 

“That was the worst part,” Irene murmurs back, sounding distant in a way. “It’s horrible, I mean...it’s your worst fear. Your own personal hell.” 

“What happened in yours?” Yeri has asked this question for years, and she never gets an answer. She’s always been left with a burning curiosity about it, because Irene is hardly secretive with her anymore now she’s an adult, but she’s always held this one away from everyone - Yeri isn’t even sure if Seulgi knows. 

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Irene sighs, placing a gentle kiss to the crown of Yeri’s head and then moving to stand. “Besides, I have to go check in with Seulgi and Mina, see how she’s doing.” 

“Duty calls,” Yeri jokes a little, finally making Irene crack a smile. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Stay out of trouble, kid,” Irene chuckles, turning to leave the library, Yeri left with nothing but her own thoughts and the book in front of her to attempt to distract her. 

~

Jeongyeon really wishes Nayeon was less invested in her developing her powers. She knows Nayeon means the best, of course she does, but it’s honestly nothing more than embarrassing every time they try to practice. Jeongyeon just feels like such a failure; she’s resolved herself to the knowledge she isn’t that powerful, and she’d rather work on coming to terms with that instead of spending time reopening the wound by trying and failing over and over again. 

“Since when can you transmutate?” Jeongyeon asks with a laugh, arms folded across her chest as she watches from the porch as Nayeon disappears and reappears around the yard, giggling the whole while. 

“Manifested yesterday!” Nayeon calls gleefully, reappearing suddenly right in front of Jeongyeon. 

“So that’s...five? Five now?” Jeongyeon tries to be happy for Nayeon, seeing her so clearly on the trajectory to the next Supreme, but it stings to feel like she’ll always be in her best friend’s shadow, to never excel the way Nayeon does. Nobody expects much from her anymore, except for Nayeon. She’s always had faith in Jeongyeon, even if perhaps it may be misplaced in Jeongyeon’s opinion. 

“Yep,” Nayeon beams. “Telekinesis, pyrokinesis, vitalum vitalis, concilium, and now transmutation!” 

“You keep that concilium shit away from me, I don’t want you in my head,” Jeongyeon jokes, Nayeon giggling with her. 

“Dahyun’s always in your head, you better get used to it!” Nayeon counters. 

“Well she’s polite about it,” Jeongyeon sighs. “You’d probably make me do something gross.” 

“Like what?” Nayeon’s eyes hold way too much mischief for Jeongyeon’s liking right now. 

“I don’t know, make me kiss you or something,” Jeongyeon blurts out, cheeks pink when Nayeon doubles over laughing really hard at that one. 

“That’s the grossest thing you could think of?” Nayeon asks incredulously. “Damn, alright, maybe I won’t help you then!” 

“I didn’t ask you too!” Jeongyeon protests, Nayeon giggling as she takes both of Jeongyeon’s hands. 

“I know, Jeong, I’m just teasing,” Nayeon smiles warmly then. “I want to help you, okay?”

“Okay,” Jeongyeon sighs softly, nerves rushing back up on her. She won’t be able to do this, she knows she can’t. The only time she’s managed to do anything was the last time they practiced telekinesis, when she’d been thinking about Nayeon and it just sort of happened. She hadn’t been able to repeat what she’d done on her own, and it made her think it was just a fluke. 

“Transmutate to me,” Nayeon instructs, disappearing then and reappearing across the yard. 

Jeongyeon bites back a comment about how that’s not very helpful at all, instead closing her eyes and trying to will it to happen. What did she do last time? She feels her cheeks burning when she remembers she was thinking so much about Nayeon, allowing the thoughts to melt over her again, thinking of meeting Nayeon across the yard, how warm her arms feel when they hug, how her fingers feel carding through Jeongyeon’s hair whenever she’s sad. 

Suddenly she feels herself moving, a different sort of movement than she’s ever felt before, and before she can open her eyes to see what’s happening her body collides against Nayeon’s, the warmth of her best friend so welcoming. 

“Woah,” Nayeon laughs, making Jeongyeon open her eyes as the older girl catches her in her embrace. “I said to me, not into me.” 

“I did it?” Jeongyeon whispers, eyes full of hope, the hope she’s been trying to stamp out for years. 

“You did perfect,” Nayeon beams, eyes so full of pride Jeongyeon could cry. “How do you feel?” 

“Dizzy,” Jeongyeon admits breathlessly. 

“Maybe it’s a first time thing,” Nayeon laughs a little. “Like motion sickness.” 

Jeongyeon doesn’t know how to admit it wasn’t the transmutation that made her dizzy, it was Nayeon’s fierce hold on her and the pride gleaming in her eyes. 

~

Momo couldn’t explain what’s drawing her outside, but something is. She’s over at the window, staring outside with a frown at the vast expanse of land behind the Academy, trying to let her gut tell her what’s out there calling for her attention. 

“What’s up, Momo?” Jihyo calls from the couch she and Sana are seated on, both of them confused about what has Momo so distracted. 

“Is everything okay?” Sana asks softly. 

“Something’s outside,” Momo whispers, not even sure how to explain it, it’s just this inexplicable feeling she can’t control nor ignore. 

“Is it dangerous?” Jihyo presses on. She and Sana have become accustomed to Momo’s sometimes erratic behavior, because they’ve learned to trust her instincts on things, especially when she’s this distracted. She just knows things other people seem to miss, even the other witches in the Coven. 

“No, I don’t think so,” Momo sighs, trying to will herself away from the window, but she can’t deny the feeling of needing to go outside and find whatever is calling her. “I’m gonna go find it.” 

Before Sana or Jihyo can protest, Momo is off, rushing to the back door and down the porch steps, letting her gut lead her as her bare feet hit the dewey grass, eyes falling closed even as she walks, instinct her vision for the moment. She finds exactly what she was looking for at the edge of the forest - a dead fawn that makes her stomach turn. Without even thinking about what she’s doing, she kneels down and places her hands to hover just above the animal, breathing steadily as she lets her mind melt away, focusing only on life and vitality, a sort of warmth filling the air. 

“Momo, what are you-” Sana cuts herself off as she and Jihyo approach, muffling a gasp behind her hand as the fawn that was just dead in the grass seconds prior pulls itself to stand shakily, now alive and seemingly unharmed again. 

“Oh my god, Momo,” Jihyo murmurs, not even sure what to say. She’s never seen someone perform vitalum vitalis like this, and it totally stunned her. 

“Have you ever done something like that before?” Sana asks in a surprised tone, making Momo finally stand and turn to face them as the fawn scampers away. 

“No, I...I don’t know what happened,” Momo explains softly. “I just felt it calling to me, I don’t know.”

“We have to tell Miss Irene, that was incredible,” Jihyo says in a hushed tone, reaching and grabbing Momo by the hand, tugging her back to the Academy. 

In all their excitement and haste they forget to knock, bursting into Irene’s office and coming to an abrupt halt when they see she’s meeting with Mina, the newest recruit, who winces at the sudden eyes on her. 

“Knocking?” Irene asks in a pointed tone, reprimanding them without having to say it. 

“I’m sorry Miss Irene, it’s just… Momo you tell her,” Sana insists hurriedly, pushing Momo towards the desk. 

Momo takes a deep, shaky breath, and then, “I felt like something was outside, so I went and looked and I found a dead fawn and...and I brought it back to life.” 

“You did?” Irene looks floored, but a sort of awe and pride crosses her face too. “Wow, that’s...that’s incredible, Momo. You’re our first student to show that strong of an aptitude for resurgence aside from Nayeon, and the fact you had that kind of instinct...you clearly have a gift, Momo.” 

Momo can’t help smiling, for the first time ever feeling like her odd, unexplainable gut instincts have a true tie, a reasoning, and she likes the feeling of pride everyone around her is extending to her. 

~

Tzuyu wants to figure out her new roommate. Mina is kind, quiet and incredibly respectful of Tzuyu’s space. She keeps her side of the room tidy, she doesn’t say much when she and Tzuyu happen to be in the room together. She’s the essence of politeness, but Tzuyu knows there’s more to her. There’s something brewing under the surface, her eyes hiding something every time they desperately flick away from Tzuyu’s gaze. 

Irene had somewhat briefed Tzuyu on Mina’s ability, so to speak, but one thing Irene said sticks in Tzuyu’s mind more than anything else; “If she becomes overwhelmed with a vision, it is imperative someone calms her down. We wouldn’t want her hurting anyone, or herself.” 

So Tzuyu has been waiting for the time to come, when Mina becomes overcome with a vision and Tzuyu has to be the one to help her through, but it hasn’t happened yet. The longer it goes without it happening, the more anxious Tzuyu becomes about when it finally will. 

“Are you heading down to dinner?” Mina’s own voice draws Tzuyu’s attention, her eyes darting to see Mina lingering in the doorway of their room. 

“Is it dinner time already?” Tzuyu asks, trying to stay lighthearted, sliding off the bed and walking to follow Mina down the corridor. 

“The days go by so quickly here,” Mina remarks offhandedly, Tzuyu smiling a little at her observation. 

“Yeah, they really do,” Tzuyu sighs, the two of them going down the steps side by side. “And you’re not even in class with the rest of us yet.” 

“What are classes like?” Mina asks eagerly, and Tzuyu comes to think she likes this side of Mina, less reserved and more chatty. She hopes she’ll get to see it more often. 

“It’s mostly hands on stuff, we don’t really take notes,” Tzuyu explains softly, hopping down the last step. “And we have reflection hour everyday after lunch. Irene likes to get us all together so we can reflect on our training and where we want to go next.” 

“That sounds nice,” Mina sighs. “Irene is really sweet.” 

“She is,” Tzuyu smiles. “I feel kind of bad for her, though. She’s been Supreme since she was really young, I can imagine she must be exhausted.” They round the corner into the dining room, everyone else already sat at the table digging into their meals, two empty seats side by side waiting for Mina and Tzuyu.

“Who do you think is next?” Mina asks abruptly, stopping Tzuyu before they go to sit down. 

“Honestly? My bets on you,” Tzuyu says earnestly, and the shock on Mina’s face makes her giggle. “Surprised?” 

“A little, yeah,” Mina whispers in an awe filled voice, trailing Tzuyu to their chairs and sitting down. 

Wendy is quick to start dishing food onto their plates, murmuring a soft, “Glad you girls joined us.” 

“How are you settling in, Mina?” Yeri asks from across the table. “Are you tired of us yet?” 

Mina laughs a little, shaking her head. “No, no, I like it here. It’s nice to feel at home.” 

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Irene smiles her way, making Mina feel a little bashful with the whole table paying attention to her. 

“Jeong, why don’t you tell them what happened today?” Nayeon says abruptly, Jeongyeon’s cheeks going bright red as she ducks her head down. 

“Uh, I’d rather not,” She mutters, making Nayeon roll her eyes. 

“Okay, then I will,” Nayeon goes on, bringing a groan from Jeongyeon. “Jeongyeon manifested transmutation today!” 

“Oh that’s incredible, Jeong!” Seulgi beams, everyone at the table giving her a round of applause that makes her sigh long and heavy. 

“See, what did we tell you?” Irene says quietly. “Sometimes the flower that blooms last is the prettiest of all.” Jeongyeon lets a tense smile play on her face, knowing now they’ll all be expecting more of her, things she doesn’t think she can do.

“So now she’s up to two of seven,” Nayeon keeps going in a proud voice. “Telekinesis and transmutation.” 

“We can work on pyro together if you want,” Joy offers sweetly. “You know that’s my speciality.” 

“Yeah if you wanna burn the whole Coven down,” Sana teases, earning her a hard elbow to the side.

“Well whatever she works on next, I’m sure she’ll excel at it,” Wendy cuts through the silly chatter, giving Jeongyeon an encouraging smile. “You’ve got the skills, you just have to believe in yourself.” 

“All of you girls make me very proud everyday,” Irene adds in an almost tearful voice. “Watching the Coven go from barely anything to being so flourishing is one of the best things to ever witness. No matter who rises, you are all incredibly powerful and capable witches.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr @bbygirldahyun and twitter @bbygiridahyun

**Author's Note:**

> @bbygirldahyun on tumblr and @bbygiridahyun on twitter <3


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